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Kyle Larson through the years
By George Winkler | Tuesday, December 28, 2021
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2012: Kyle Larson (pictured at Atlanta) made his NASCAR national series debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for Turner Scott Motorsports in the June 28 race at Kentucky Speedway. Larson, a product of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program, competed in four truck races that season with his best finish (second place) coming at Phoenix.
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2012: Larson flashed early talent by winning the K&N Pro Series East championship driving for Rev Racing and Max Siegel. He had two wins (Jefferson, Loudon) and eight top-five finishes in 14 races en route to the title and rookie-of-the-year honors.
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2013: Larson (pictured at Indianapolis) moved up to a full-time ride in the Xfinity Series for Turner Scott Motorsports. He earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award thanks to 17 top-10 finishes in 33 races. He did not have a win, but he finished second four times.
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2013: Larson breaks through for his first NASCAR national series win in the Camping World Truck Series at Rockingham Speedway. He led 187 of the 205 laps and edged Joey Logano by .177 seconds for the victory.
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2013: Larson got his first taste of NASCAR Cup Series action in the fall race at Charlotte. A couple of months earlier it was announced that he would drive the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet full time in 2014. Larson raced four times in the Cup Series in 2013 with his best finish coming at Miami (15th).
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2014: Larson enjoyed an eventful and successful rookie season in the Cup Series, including earning his first Darlington stripe (pictured). He had 17 top-10 finishes in 36 races and earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.
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2014: Larson celebrated his first win in the Xfinity Series (Auto Club Speedway) on March 22. He led 17 laps and beat Kevin Harvick to the start/finish line by .342 seconds. Larson won later in the season at Charlotte to go with 21 top-10 finishes in 28 races.
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2015: Larson (pictured with Tony Kanaan) displays his Rolex watch after winning The Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway driving the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Target/Ford EcoBoost Riley.
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2015: Larson kisses girlfriend (now wife) Katelyn Sweet as they hold son Owen before the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona International Speedway. Owen was born in December of 2014.
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2016: In his 99th start in the NASCAR Cup Series, Larson gets his first victory (at Michigan). Larson leads 41 laps and beats Chase Elliott to the start/finish line by 1.478 seconds. Larson finishes ninth in the season's final standings after compiling 15 top-10 finishes in 36 races.
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2017: The California Kid keeps the momentum going with a win in his home state at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Larson starts from the pole position and leads 110 laps en route to his second win, then gets to celebrate with son Owen in Victory Lane.
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2017: Larson picks up four wins in 2017, including a sweep in both races at Michigan for his second and third career victories at the superspeedway. Larson advances to the playoffs but finishes eighth in the standings despite battling eventual champion Martin Truex Jr. throughout the season.
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2017: Larson and Chip Ganassi Racing signed a multiyear deal with primary sponsor Credit One Bank in November during Champion's Week. The future looks bright in the NASCAR Cup Series for Larson and the No. 42 team.
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2018: Kyle Larson and then-fiancee (now wife) Katelyn Sweet welcomed their second child, a daughter named Audrey Layne in May. Larson and Sweet married in late September.
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2018: Larson made the playoffs for the third straight season, but was eliminated from championship contention in the Round of 12. Larson's 12 top-five finishes in 2018 ranked fifth behind only the 'Big 3' and eventual champion Joey Logano.
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2019: Larson had an impressive playoff win at Dover. The win at Dover locked Larson and Chip Ganassi Racing into the Round of 8 for the first time in history.
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2019: Larson had one win, eight top fives and 17 top 10s. His sixth-place finish in the final Cup Series standings marked the highest ever of his career.
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2020: Chip Ganassi Racing ended its relationship with Larson in April after he used a racial slur on a live stream during an iRacing event. NASCAR suspended Larson and ordered him to do sensitivity training. Larson completed the training and NASCAR announced in October that he was reinstated for the 2021 season. Larson signed with Hendrick Motorsports later in October to be on board for the 2021 season.
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2021: In his first year driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Larson broke the record for laps led in a season since NASCAR went to 36 races in a season with 2,581. He also compiled a career-high 10 victories as he and crew chief Cliff Daniels developed a strong rapport in their first year together on the No. 5 team. Larson qualified for the first Championship 4 race of his career.
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2021: Larson capped a dominant season by winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix. Larson went from fourth place among the Championship 4 drivers to first on the final pit stop and held the lead for the final 24 laps to claim the victory. It was his 10th win of the season and helped give Hendrick Motorsports its 14th Cup Series title.
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2021: Larson celebrated his championship after the season at the NASCAR Awards at the Music City Center in Nashville among his peers.
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